2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

Fourth place: Rocket Science.

Like bluepoint oysters on the half shell and sturgeon caviar on toast points, the SLS seems to be an acquired taste. In the course of 700 miles, not everyone on our test crew acquired it.

It’s certainly hard to fault the car’s performance. The SLS powered through the acceleration runs third-quickest, typically a wink or two behind the Ferrari, although the SLS just beat the 458 to 140 mph. It was also third-fastest on the Reno-Fernley road circuit, where one driver noted that it is “excellent under braking and predictable, with good turn-in and stunning midrange.”

Given the car’s size—biggest and heaviest in this group—its agility and tenacious grip came as a pleasant surprise to those who were enjoying their first encounter. “The size shrinks when speed goes up,” wrote one.

Testers also appreciated the omnipresent rumble of the 6.2-liter V-8—one equated it with having “your own personal thunderstorm”—as well as its muscle. The Benz’s 563 horsepower aced the Ferrari by one pony for most output in this test, although its 479 pound-feet of torque, an overpowering tidal wave compared with most, was second to the prodigious twist of the Porsche’s twin-turbo, six-cylinder engine.

And there were plaudits for a straightforward control layout and elegant interior furnishings, including high marks for the seats, which at least one tester rated above the Aston’s.

There were a few demerits. While the gullwing doors are certainly crowd pleasers, ours didn’t fit that well, and everyone on the crew whacked his head at least once. Would owners do this more than a couple of times? Probably not, but this didn’t stem the complaints. Another kvetch is the reach required to grab the door pull from the driver’s seat.

Memo to Mercedes: Equip SLS sales staff with an amusement-park minimum-height bar set at six feet. Also, issue bicycle helmets to new owners.

There were complaints about seeing over that long hood, which one driver equated with the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Beyond that, the styling, conceived as a contemporary update on the immortal 300SL coupe, failed to resonate with most of the crew. Those who remember the original as a new car—e.g., your humble narrator—find the sequel hugely appealing. Those who don’t, don’t.

On the dynamic side of the ledger, the SLS’s score sheet was diminished by the responses of its seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual. In manual mode, shift-response time was slow, diluting the car’s otherwise eager persona in high-speed pursuits.

It may be that this illuminates a generation gap, and that this car’s appeal may be limited largely to slightly older guys. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; they’re the guys with enough dough to step up to its $203,500 as-tested price.